I Swear I Tried to Care
by Mariella
Summary: Elizabeth has Will, and Will means security. But does she want that? Jack's audacity is invading her thoughts and it's tempting her. This has something for everyone. NEW CHAPTER: Jack gets some action ;) (JE, WE and other pairings)
1. Default Chapter

Chapter one  
  
Disclaimer: Honestly kids, I don't own any of the characters. No matter how much I wish Jack Sparrow were mine.  
  
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Nothing ever really did occur between Captain Jack Sparrow and Miss Elizabeth Swann on that godforsaken island they were left on. What's to say nothing would have occurred, had they been stranded one more night, or two perhaps.  
  
Still, Elizabeth often thought about that night; the flames emerging from their embers alighting their faces and providing a certain warmth, the sound of the waves crashing to meet the sand, the strong smell of rum, along with the sensation it gave her as it burned down her throat, lightening her spirit.. and the comforting feel of her head resting against Jack's shoulder.  
  
Jack. A smile crept to her lips as she thought of him.  
  
He swaggered when he walked and gestured wildly while making conversation. His humor, though sometimes rude, was entertaining. He smelled of strong lingering rum and the open ocean breeze. His eyes were lined with kohl and it only made his gaze the more intent. He was a definite pirate, a scallywag.  
  
Here Elizabeth was, back home and far away from any past danger, and yet somehow she missed it all. She missed the adventure  
  
At home she was safe, and after all she was with Will. She liked Will, no doubt about that. She just wasn't sure, not just yet, if that was what she really wanted.  
  
Will had already confessed his love to Elizabeth, and she couldn't find herself to reciprocate. They were not engaged and had shared only a few kisses since Jack's departure. Despite all this, she couldn't help but gather an utmost secure satisfaction and pleasure from Will's kisses.  
  
She often imagined kissing Will and it was no different than she'd thought it would be.  
  
His lips were soft, and his kisses were gentle. His lips grazed hers in such a way that reminded Elizabeth of their history and childhood together. It was innocent and playful, there were no surprises. It was seemingly right and planned out, and it felt good. But did she want all this security?  
  
"Will, I want to thank you for risking your life to exempt any harm from coming to me, I really appreciate it." She told him, breaking the kiss. Elizabeth kissed him once more, exhibiting her affection for him.  
  
He smiled, her kiss affected him greatly. "Think nothing of it, it's Jack who we should all be thanking, really."  
  
She remembered Will saying this almost two months ago, and she found herself agreeing. Pirate though he was, Jack was a good man and had helped Will in the process of saving her, after having saved her once before as well.  
  
Jack sent Will a letter saying that he would "visit soon enough". It had been three weeks since the letter had arrived and she found herself peering at the horizon every now and then to see if she could catch a glimpse of the Black Pearl's vast sails. She anticipated Jack's arrival very much.  
  
Although, last time he came to Port Royal, it was unexpected and very frightening indeed. He had saved her, yes, but what came after that was sudden and shocking.  
  
After Jack had pulled Elizabeth out of the water, and her father had got to the scene along with Commodore Norrington and his men, they had found out for certain that he was a pirate.  
  
The Commodore had held his hand out to shake Jack's in thanks for saving Elizabeth, and pulled up Jack's sleeve to reveal a 'P' for pirate.  
  
"Had a brush with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?"  
  
"Hang him." Governor Swann said in reply. Elizabeth stood with a blanket placed upon her shoulders, watching the whole scene.  
  
"Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette, fetch some irons." Norrington pulled up the sleeve higher, showing a tattoo of a sparrow in flight. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"  
  
"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please sir."  
  
They examined his things, which consisted of a gun with no additional shots or powder, a compass that didn't point north, and a sword with the handle made of wood. "You are, without doubt, the worst pirate I've ever heard of." Commodore Norrington said with a sneer.  
  
"But you have heard of me." They proceeded to clap him in irons when Elizabeth decided to speak up.  
  
"Commodore, I really must protest." They continued to ignore her. "Pirate or not, this man saved my life!"  
  
He still disagreed. "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."  
  
"Thought it seems enough to condemn him." They had finished cuffing him. With a simple reply of "finally" from Jack, he threw his irons around Elizabeth's neck, and backed them away from the soldiers. They were about to shoot at him but the governor advised them not to.  
  
"I knew you'd warm up to me. Commodore Norrington, my effects, please, and my hat. Commodore!" He then spoke to Elizabeth, breathing his words into her ear, making her feel uneasy. "Elizabeth, Elizabeth isn't it?"  
  
"It's Miss Swann."  
  
"Miss Swann, if you would be so kind." The Commodore handed her Jack's things and she turned around, surprised to see his face so close to hers. She looked at him with detestation. "Come come dear, we don't have all day." He said this as if it were a normal thing to be threatening someone. "Now, if you'd be very kind" His eyes pierced through hers, and his body was pressed oh-so-close to hers. He smirked haughtily as she roughly placed his hat atop his head, and strapped his sword on around his lower parts.  
  
"Easy on the goods, Darling." With her hands trembling, she finished up. Her heart was pounding wildly. "Your despicable."  
  
"Stick and stones, love. I saved you're life, you saved mine, we're square." He turned her around the face the rest of them, with his irons clasped around her neck. She was all too frightened, although excited.  
  
Her breathing became even shallower and Jack finally said, "Gentlemen, m'lady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" And with that he released Elizabeth, pushing her into the arms of the soldiers. She watched in awe as he incredulously managed to escape. She had been threatened by a fugitive. A pirate, and she basked in the risky pleasure of it all.  
  
He was the only person who had made her feel like that at such close proximity. She had been that close to Will many times, and even closer. Still, he had not affected her in the way that Jack had. It was different. She didn't feel safe, she felt vulnerable. And she liked that vulnerability, it was thrilling, and it caused a commotion to her senses. He was precarious and eccentric and she couldn't get enough of it. She longed for it, fantasized about it, and Jack had it.  
  
She was attracted to danger. Her whole life she'd had all the security she could ever need, and yet she longed to be close to that hazardous, impure, and rampant man  
  
She snapped out of her thoughts. I need to leave behind these unclean thoughts; Will is whom I should be thinking about.  
  
She was a decent and respectable woman; so virtuous that she would ignore all thoughts about that certain pirate, from then on.  
  
Or at least she would try.  
  
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I would appreciate if you would tell me what you thought about it. I love feedback, even if you're bashing my writing. I might need a beta, seeing as school is going to begin in a few short weeks, so if anyone is willing to beta for me, that would be nice. 


	2. Ch 2: Don't let the rum slip

A/N: Well, well, I'm back! Ahhh I love writing this story I really do but my damn schedule gets in the way a lot. I'm writing this with a full intention of finishing it, and from now on I'll try to update more often.  
  
Oh! And I forgot to add that during this chapter we are going to be visiting Mr. Sparrow! Oh joy! ( It takes place during the same time as last chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine!  
  
I Swear I Tried to Care  
  
Chapter 2: Don't let the rum slip.  
  
It was a cold and commonly savage night in Tortuga, bright with fires and alive with befuddled laughter. There was a myriad of activity throughout the town, and the bars were full.  
  
Captain Jack Sparrow could be found in a looming alley corner holding a bottle of strong rum in one hand while pressing his body closely to a picturesque and pleasing wench.  
  
She had silky black locks that fell onto her smooth shoulders and pale skin with rouge tinted cheeks giving off the impression of a bonny doll. Her eyes were entrancing, of the deepest green laced with honey, and her exquisite red lips puckered up all the too often. She let those lips curl up into a slight smirk before wrapping her arms around Jack Sparrow's neck and bringing his head forcefully down to hers in a rough and needy kiss.  
  
Jack kissed her back in return, hungrily. His tongue grazed her bottom lip briefly and he let his lips brush against hers, and their lips stroked eachother's with an equal amount of force. He slid his arms around her small waist all the while keeping a tight grip on his beloved bottle of rum. He pushed her against a wall, compounding their bodies even closer, if possible, than before.  
  
At this, the bonny lass let out a slight moan of pleasure.  
  
"Well Captain, it is true then. You seem to quite master the art of coaxing." She said, her tone feigning innocence.  
  
Jack took a swig of his rich, well-tasting rum and raised his eyebrows at her, letting the liquid pleasantly burn down his throat. He put his mouth dangerously close to her ear.  
  
"What's your name, love?" He whispered. Her response was not what he expected.  
  
She took a deep breath. "Annie Vane Flint, proud heir to the Flint manor. I come from a very wealthy bloodline, you know--- I already own many riches some can only dream of, I mean at such a fresh young age as meself, you can only imagine the number of jealous girls---"  
  
Jack cut her off by putting a finger to her lips. Just my luck, he thought. Who would have that that a lovely little strumpet like her could come off as such a nuisance so easily!  
  
He kept his finger on her lips, quieting her. "Look, lass, first of all, I simply asked your name, not your bloody rank or family history. And secondly, the only way I would be slightly interested in your beneficial personage would be if I were seeking a nice lineage to pillage and plunder to my own heart's desire, savvy?"  
  
Jack paused for a moment to look at the shocked expression on her face and then reveled a grin. "Now, seeing as we have that covered.where were we, darling?"  
  
SMACK. Oh, good. Just what he was anticipating. With a puzzled look on his face, Jack put his hand against his cheek and rubbed the lingering pain that Annie's slap had left. He most certainly DID NOT deserve that.  
  
"I must say, Annabelle, you certainly slap a bit rougher than I expected. Being such a sweet thing as yourself." Jack replied mannerly.  
  
Annie huffed, obviously offended. "My name is NOT Annabelle! And shame on you Jack Sparrow, just.just.shame on you!" She was in such fury that she was lost for words.  
  
Jack clapped his hands together and nodded his head. "Well then, it was nice meeting you Miss---Plint, is it? But I'm afraid that's my queue."  
  
He started to trot away but stopped and swiftly turned around and walked back to her. He swished his bottle of rum in front of her and said," Drink up, love. Hopefully it'll let loose all your bitterness for quite a while, although I wouldn't count on it."  
  
He put the bottle in her hand, hoping she took it as a benediction. Annie Vane Flint stood perplexed and rooted to the spot as Jack receded.  
  
He swaggered back to the tavern where he would most likely find a member of his crew. It really was a pity to have such a pleasing night slip away from his grasp, but he couldn't help being utterly turned off. He was tired of wooing those common mindless wenches.  
  
The groping and kissing and tickling and touching was all be quite fun until they opened their mouths, where he would have to find someway to shut them up, and by the time he had managed to do exactly that, the aforementioned wenches would either be extremely offended somehow (for reasons unknown to him) or they would quiet down for a minute or two before yet again letting idiotic words spill from their mouths. Apart from not knowing when to keep there mouths shut, they were seemingly brainless. They all lacked something he desperately wanted, and he couldn't quite place what it was, what they were all missing and what he longed for.  
  
It wasn't something he pondered too much on. Besides, his gorgeous and majestic rum would keep him company that night.  
  
His rum.  
  
Not good! He had given it to that no-good, scabrous, gaudy little minx. His bloody integrity had gotten in the way. He was too damn honorable for his own good.  
  
That vixen! She had probably already drank it all to herself, something someone as greedy as her would do. A pretty thing, though she was.  
  
Jack reached the tavern and stepped inside, not bothering to notice the chaos encircling him. He picked out a dark head from the crowd, and headed toward it. Someone bumped into him but he merely brushed the man aside.  
  
He reached his destination, "Anamaria! What a surprise! Silly me, thinking you were down there with the Pearl, perhaps.polishing the captain's headquarters?"  
  
She handed him a pint. "So I figure we're heading to Port Royall tomorrow morning?"  
  
He puckered his lips and frowned a bit, in confusion. Ah yes, the letter he had sent Will.  
  
"Aye! Tomorrow it is, then." He assured her. "And thank you for the rum, I'm much obliged!"  
  
"Tell me, Captain, How do you figure the Royal Navy will welcome our arrival ashore?" She replied, her tone becoming stiff.  
  
"Anamaria love, I assure you everything will be just fine. You and the rest of the crew can scurry around and show yourselves wherever you please. I am the one they want, and I know how to keep a low profile. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?"  
  
She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes at him. "Listen you daft scallywag, if you get us into any trouble at all."  
  
"Now now, little missy. Have I ever done anything to make you not trust me-- - ACTUALLY you best not answer that. But bear with me this once, it'll be 3 days - 5 at the most, what say you?"  
  
Anamaria was quite the edge tool when it came to glares. "You are the captain. Suit yourself, I'm heading back down to the Pearl." She quickly turned and was on her way out.  
  
Jack couldn't help but grin. "I knew you'd warm up to me!"  
  
Tomorrow was going to be a long day..  
  
Soon Jack Sparrow would be graced with the company of William Turner and fair Elizabeth Swann.  
  
.He hoped they were in a hospitable mood.  
  
Again, I apologize for the delay, and thank you for everyone who reviewed last time. I really appreciate it. The story starts to kick in more so during the next chapter.  
  
Please review, feedback is my fuel. 


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